Laying Foundations. Phase II. Knowing God. Pocket Principles and Guided Discussions. For Students

Transcription

1 Laying Foundations Phase II Knowing God Pocket Principles and Guided Discussions For Students

2 Knowing God, Pocket Principles and Guided Discussions, For Students Copyright by Worldwide Discipleship Association, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of these documents may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of Worldwide Discipleship Association. These documents may not be changed in any way or distributed for profit. For copyright information: Worldwide Discipleship Association (Attention: Margaret Garner) P.O. Box Fayetteville, GA USA Web Site: Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NOTE: In an effort to recognize that both men and women are co-heirs of God s grace, we have chosen to use alternating gender pronouns in this document. However, we do recognize and embrace gender-specific roles in Scripture. Development Team: Bob Dukes Margaret Garner Jack Larson Margo Theivagt Writing Team: Bob Dukes Margaret Garner Jack Larson Jon Long Jeff Mares Frank Mashburn Margo Theivagt Publishing Team: Nila Duffitt Buddy Eades Margaret Garner David Parfitt Design by Cristina van de Hoeve doodlingdesigner.com

3 Hello Friend! A Welcome from WDA s President Worldwide Discipleship Association, Inc. Let me congratulate you on your decision to learn more about Jesus Christ and what it means to follow Him. There is nothing more important or more rewarding than the decision to follow Him and then to grow as a Christian. These studies will help you get started on your journey with Christ or encourage and instruct you if you are already on this exciting journey. We in WDA want to help you grow and become all you can be in Christ Jesus! My prayer and confident belief is that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6) so that He is able to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy. (Jude 1:24) To Him be glory and praise! May God richly bless you as you strive to grow in Him. Bob Dukes President, Worldwide Discipleship Association Fayetteville, GA 30214

4 Knowing God Table of Contents: Student #1 Relating To God 1 Pocket Principle 8 Exhibit: Bible Readings For Devotional Use 11 Guided Discussion #2 God Reveals Himself 15 Pocket Principle 22 Guided Discussion #3 The Attributes Of God 25 Pocket Principle 29 Exhibit: The Attributes Of God 31 Guided Discussion #4 Correcting False Views Of God 34 Pocket Principle 38 Exhibit: Correcting False Views Of God 39 Guided Discussion #5 The Trinity And God The Father 42 Pocket Principle 45 Guided Discussion #6 Jesus, God The Son 49 Pocket Principle 53 Exhibit: Proofs For The Deity Of Jesus Christ 54 Guided Discussion #7 Our Relationship With Christ Our Brother 57 Pocket Principle 61 Guided Discussion #8 The Holy Spirit 64 Pocket Principle 68 Exhibit: The Deity Of The Holy Spirit 69 Exhibit: The Personality Of The Holy Spirit 70 Guided Discussion #9 God s Righteousness 73 Pocket Principle 77 Exhibit: Sanctification Chart 78 Guided Discussion #10 Security In Christ 81 Pocket Principle 84 Guided Discussion 87 What s Next? 88 Links 89 About WDA

5 Pocket Principle You have begun a journey to know God, but did you know that you are actually joining a story in progress? God has desired to have a relationship with you for a long time and has prepared the way for you to enter into that relationship. When a person comes to faith in Christ and passes from spiritual death to life, a transaction takes place that has many far-reaching implications. One of these is complete and full reconciliation with God and the start of a new relationship. It is a relationship that is fuller, deeper, and richer than anything we can possibly imagine. here are funda ental di erences between od and ankind that i pact the relationship and make it unlike human relationships. For example, God is infinite while we are finite He is all knowing while we ha e ery li ited understanding, both of the world we live in and the people around us. God is the Creator we are created beings He is in isible we are isible He is unchangeable; we change. God is perfect; we obviously are not. 1 Relating To God Howe er there are also ways in which a relationship with od has any things in common with other relationships in our lives. That is, it requires time, conversation, mutuality, intimacy, etc. The best relationships are the ones in which we share at deep levels, consistently over a long period of time. Our relationship with God works the same way. As with most relationships, our relationship with God is reciprocal. There are certain things that God does to establish and maintain the relationship, and there are specific things we ust do for the relationship to grow and develop. Understanding this reciprocal dynamic and how it a ects the relationship is ery i portant e can cultivate our relationship with God by understanding this reciprocal dynamic and by understanding how to nurture this relationship. We also have a responsibility to obey the commands of God. This is love in action; love with shoes on. GOD TAKES THE INITIATIVE IN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH US. He knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1-4). God knows everything about us our actions, our movements, our thoughts, our words n fact because He is all knowing and exists outside of space and ti e He knows these things before they e en happen He knows us far better than we know ourselves. Knowledge can be scary in human relationships. We choose what we think is safe to disclose to one another, and we go to great lengths to 1

6 Part of the struggle and the joy of our lives comes from learning to persevere in habits of prayer. protect information we don t want others to know. We are free to be totally open and honest with od because He knows all about us anyway nd the a a ing thing is that He lo es us unconditionally despite full knowledge of e erything about us that is unlovely. He protects and shields us. He is our security (Psalm 139:5-6). You hem me in, behind and before, writes the psalmist. You have laid your hand upon me. The laying of God s hand upon us is a picture of his allencompassing care for us. In other Psalms, David uses many pictures to describe God s care of him including that of a shield, a fortress, a hiding place, a refuge, and a shelter He paints the following picture in the first two erses of Psal 91: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the l ighty will say of the Lord He is y refuge and y fortress y od in whom I trust. He is completely attentive to us regardless of our circumstances (Psalm 139:7-12). here can go fro your Spirit wonders the psal ist here can ee fro your presence He then re ects that no atter where he could possibly go he knew that he could never go beyond the reach of God s personal concern. his is a significant distinction between our relationship with God and that with any other person. No human, no matter how much he or she may want to, can ever always be there for us, either physically or emotionally. At some point, distance or other factors will pre ent it Howe er we can never go anywhere that God will not be with us. He initiated and sustains our being: external (physical) and internal (emotional, spiritual) (Psalm 139:13-16). One of the things we most value about those we are close to is that there is a strong bond of understanding between us. These special friends seem to understand what really makes us tick. Who knows better what makes a clock tick than the craftsman who builds the clock? Likewise, who knows us better than the od who created us He knows us inside and out better than anyone else e er can He created us in His i age to re ect His glory yet He has created each of us uniquely with a predetermined number of days that we shall live upon this earth. 2

7 Pocket Principle 1 WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. To seek Him (Jeremiah 29:10-14) ou will seek e and find e when you seek e with all your heart was od s word to the ews li ing in capti ity ere iah 29:1 14 he heart represents the center of one s being, the seat of emotions and will. Scripture includes se eral co ands that relate to the heart: e are told to lo e od with all of our hearts Deuterono y 6:5 and elsewhere to trust with all of our hearts Pro erbs 3:5 and to repent with all of our hearts oel 2:12 Our seeking is not to be a casual endeavor. Consider the contrast between two en who go on separate ca ping trips he first an reali es during the week that he has isplaced his pocketknife. It was a good knife, although relatively inexpensi e He would like to find it and e ery day he keeps his eyes open for it in case he should happen to stumble across it. he second an reali es the night before he is to lea e to return home that he has lost his car keys. Early the next morning, he receives a call from his wife saying that their teenage son has been in a car accident and is in intensive care in the hospital. There is no casual searching here He has got to find those keys He scra bles around on his hands and knees tears his tent and camping gear apart, and frantically retraces every step he made the pre ious day he first an s search for his knife is a half hearted e ort the second man s search for his keys is with his whole heart. To love Him with our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-39) A teacher of the law asked Jesus, Of all the things we re expected to do, what is the most important? Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your ind Matthew 22:37 ccording to the response that Jesus gave to the teacher, everything taught in the law can be summed up in this one commandment. We have a responsibility not simply to acknowledge God s existence or even to acknowledge His rights as creator but to lo e Hi with our hearts our souls and our inds his is another way of saying that we should lo e Hi with every part of our being. Unlike other books, God s Word is living and spiritual, practical and dynamic. 3

8 To obey Him (John 14:21) We also have a responsibility to obey the commands of God. This is love in action; love with shoes on. According to the words of Jesus, obedience is how we show our lo e for od ohn 14:21 he postle ohn who recorded these words later reiterates esus words by stating atly his is lo e for od: to obey His co ands ohn 5:3 ohn also argues that if we say we ha e co e to know od ha e a relationship with Hi yet do not obey His co ands then we are lying ohn 2:4 To draw near to Him (James 4:8)...the amazing thing is that God loves us unconditionally despite full knowledge of all about us that is unlovely. a es the brother of esus writes Co e near to od and He will co e near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- inded a es 4:8 his erse speaks of another responsibility we ha e in our relationship with od t also speaks of our outward actions wash your hands and our inward thoughts and oti es purify your hearts Each is i portant as we draw near to God. Because we are sinful beings, we will continue to do things that create distance in our relationship with God. Each time we become aware of this distance, we should once more humble ourselves, confess our sin and draw close to od e draw near in need He draws near in fullness Notice that each of the responsibilities discussed above comes with a promise a positi e benefit for us as we fulfill the responsibility his pattern further illustrates the reciprocal nature of our relationship. When we seek God, He allows Hi self to be found by us and He re eals His gracious plans for us. When we demonstrate our love by obeying od He shows His lo e to us and re eals Hi self to us hen we draw near to od He draws near to us OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS NURTURED BY INTERACTING WITH HIM. Every good relationship thrives on shared experiences and a true knowledge of each other. In its essence, Christianity is a relationship between the people of God and the Li ing od By re ealing Hi self to us and reconciling us to Hi self through Jesus Christ, God sought us out and began this relationship. In response, we are to acti ely pursue od and culti ate our relationship with Hi e can do this by spending ti e with Hi But people often ask How do you spend ti e with od when you can t see Hi ortunately od has shown us how He s gi en us His ord the 4

9 Pocket Principle 1 Bible and He eets with us in prayer s we consistently read the Bible and pray to od we grow closer to Hi s we see how He interacts with people in the Bible we co e to understand His character His alues and His personality hrough our ti e in His ord and prayer od e braces us and transforms our lives. We interact with God through the Word. Reading and contemplating the Bible can be a powerful experience. Unlike other books, God s Word is living and spiritual practical and dyna ic Consider this: od our Li ing Creator has spoken He has begun a dialogue with us re ealing His infinite thoughts to our finite inds through the Bible. he Book of Hebrews says od s ord is li ing and acti e 4:12 hrough it God engages our whole being soul, spirit, body, mind and heart. As we read and obey His ord it has a profound in uence in our li es Psal 19:7 14 tells us that God s Word is able to revive our souls, make us wise, encourage us, and guide us More than ust good ad ice od s ord is a significant part of His con ersation with His people Spending time with God s Word is like having an audience with a king. This eans we ust approach the Bible as we would approach od Hi self: hu bly and obediently esus told His followers hoe er has y co ands and obeys the he is the one who lo es e He who lo es e will be lo ed by y ather and too will lo e hi and show yself to hi ohn 14:21 Spending ti e with God s Word is not simply an exercise in scholarship or self-improvement but a faithful expression of our re erence and lo e for od Hi self ith a teachable attitude and a willingness to be changed, we come closer to God through His ord od s ord is ust that His ord s such it bears the full integrity of His character and the li itless strength of His so ereignty n Psal 37 Da id tells us that od will acco plish what He pro ises He also exhorts us: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will gi e you the desires of your heart erse 4 Therefore, we ought to look to the Bible with expectant hearts and minds, eager to see od re eal His truth and acco plish His will a ong us Do you expect od to re eal Hi self to you in His ord Does lo ing obedience result fro your ti e with od in His ord In its essence, Christianity is a relationship between the people of God and the Living God. 5

10 We interact with God through prayer having a conversation with Him. Unlike our earthly friendships, our communion with God doesn t have to have interruptions. Our lives can truly be an unending dialogue with the Lord. Praying to od continues our con ersation with Hi building upon the ti e we spend with od in His ord But what is prayer? Prayer, the Apostle John writes, is our response to God s outreach to us he Lord says Here a stand at the door and knock f anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with e e elation 3:2 Prayer is a yielding to od and an acceptance of His fellowship as si ple as a word of welco e or a cry for help More than just good advice, God s Word is a significant part of His conversation with His people. Nevertheless, a life of prayerful attention to God doesn t always come easily. Part of the struggle and the joy of our lives comes from learning to persevere in habits of prayer. od in His grace teaches us to pray and gi es any exa ples of prayer in the Bible or exa ple Psal 25 shows some of the roles prayer can have in our lives. Prayer can be a way of entrusting yourself to God, expressing your hope in Hi seeking guidance asking forgi eness gaining His perspecti e seeking refuge and recei ing His co fort e also see ele ents of prayer in other Psal s Psal 1 is a brief expression of thanksgiving, calling us to worship the Lord with gladness and joyful songs, to acknowledge Hi as our creator and leader to praise Hi for His enduring lo e and faithfulness Psal 51 Da id s song of contrition and hope is also a odel of faithful prayer He confesses his sin and pleads for ercy erses 1 9 Seeking od s help he entrusts hi self to His goodness and sustaining power petition erses 1 15 He seeks the establish ent of od s ingdo and asks od to bless others (intercession erses At its simplest, faithful prayer is how we thank, praise and worship God. It requires no great programs or resources. As we have seen the Apostle James says Co e near to od and he will co e near to you a es 4:8a his nearness of od is truly the essence of your relationship with Hi hen you interact with od through His ord and in prayer you re co ing closer to od By setting apart a time and place to devote your attention to God, you ll establish habits that will transfor your relationship with Hi 6

11 Pocket Principle 1 SUMMARY Christianity is essentially a relationship with God. By spending time with God in His ord and in prayer we can grow closer to Hi ur relationship with Hi is reciprocal He initiates we respond He wants us to pursue Hi od re eals His character will and goodness through the Bible e should approach od s ord with gratitude hu ility and obedience od uses His ord to help us and change our li es Prayer is our response to od beginning a con ersation with us he Bible gi es any exa ples of the roles prayer can ha e in our li es t helps to ha e specific ti es to eet with od in His ord and in prayer The booklet in this Cornerstone series called Bible Readings for Devotional Use pro ides 52 weeks of Bible readings fro books of the Bible that co er topics e phasi ed in the lessons that follow his booklet can be purchased in the D store at The Exhibit entitled Bible Readings for Devotional Use (Instructions) which follows this lesson is the instructions page of the booklet mentioned above. It will help orient you to spending time with God. It provides practical ideas about prayer and about Bible reading and Bible study. 7

12 Exhibit Bible Readings For Devotional Use Instructions od is most glorified when we are most enjoying Him. The side quote from John Piper, Christian speaker and author, serves as an excellent introduction to the devotional life. The purpose of devotions is to know and enjoy God personally as you spend ti e with Hi each day a es tells us Co e near to od and He will co e near to you 4:8a Two of the ways we draw near to God are in prayer as we listen and talk with Hi and as we hear His oice in Scripture here are any aspects to drawing close to od but only two will be discussed here Praying is con ersing with od: listening and talking ur con ersation with od i pro es as we get to know Hi ust as con ersation with a friend becomes easier and more rewarding as the relationship grows. Some of the ingredients in prayer are: hanksgi ing praise and worship Exa ple in Psal 1 Confession Exa ple in Psal 51:1 9 Co itting yself to od Exa ple in Psal 51:13 15 Petition aking personal re uests for self Exa ple in Psal 51:1 12 ntercession aking re uests for others Exa ple in Psal 51:18 Reading His Word is a second aspect of drawing near to God. The goal, at this point in your walk with God, is not to do an in-depth study or to completely understand each idea/truth presented. In fact, no one, no matter how mature and educated, understands everything in God s Word because its depths are as unsearchable as He is The goal is to focus on what you do understand. As you grow, more and more of the truths in Scripture will become clear to you. It is much like putting a pu le together t first indi idual pieces ay be confusing or eaningless however, as the pieces are joined together, they begin to reveal a picture that is meaningful. Although you may be unsure of some Scripture passages at first your understanding will increase o er ti e as you grow in your o erall experience with Scripture. Do not become distracted or discouraged if you do not understand a specific passage nstead focus on what you do understand e e ber that the Holy Spirit is your teacher and will guide you into all truth at His pace f course if a uestion is particularly botherso e to you talk with your entor s all group leader or pastor 8

13 Exhibit So e useful categories of uestions to ask as you read a passage of Scripture are: Observation questions: What are the facts? Interpretation questions: What do they mean? Application questions: How do they apply to e A word about versions of the Bible there are many good versions of the Bible to choose from. We suggest that you use the New International Version. In our opinion, it is the most readable version and facilitates understanding. Of course, you are free to use any version that is recommended by your church or group. Two principles of Scripture First when reading and studying Scripture it is essential to understand the context in which a passage occurs here are two di erent ways to use the word context. Context may refer to the cultural setting. For example, knowing the context of your life who your parents are where you grew up etc enables someone to understand you more fully. In a similar way, knowing the context of a passage of Scripture enables the reader to correctly understand the passage s eaning he word context ay also refer to the ow of thought in the text. For example, what happened immediately before? what was said? what happened afterwards? In Scripture, both usages of the word context are important. Second when seeking to understand Scripture, it is important to know the author s intent he eaning is static: it eans what the author originally intended it to mean. It does not change over time, from culture to culture, etc. Although there is only one meaning there may be many applications. For example, a truth from Scripture is, Love your neighbor. There are many ways this truth can be applied. These ways vary according to the person, the circumstance, the amount of time available, etc. Keeping a journal is a way to axi i e the benefit fro your ti es with od e strongly suggest that you get a notebook and write down insights you have, things you learn about God, things you learn about yourself, sins you need to confess, things you are thankful for, etc. You might want to designate part of the journal as your Prayer List where you keep a list of prayer re uests and answers uestion that in ariably arises is How long should y de otional ti e be here is no specific right length of ti e ust as there is no right a ount of ti e for two good friends to spend together. If having a devotional time is new to you, begin with 15 or 2 inutes and increase as you are able 9

14 Exhibit A resource that might be quite helpful to you is a booklet published by InterVarsity Press entitled Quiet Time: A Practical Guide for Daily Devotions. This publication includes encouragement and practical suggestions and can be ordered through Christian bookstores or on the internet. These instructions are from a booklet called Bible Readings for Devotional Use which can be purchased from the WDA store at he booklet will gi e you 52 weeks of Bible readings as well as background and special notes about certain passages. The books of the Bible chosen are books that e phasi e so e of the principles focused on in the Cornerstone aterials 1

15 Guided Discussion GOAL: For a disciple to experience a devotional time with God during the small group session and commit to having a personal daily devotional time. GETTING STARTED: 1 Relating To God Think of the person you consider your best friend. What are some elements that contributed to the development of this close relationship? STUDYING TOGETHER: o grow in a relationship with od there ust be two way reciprocal communication. Read Psalm 139: What do these verses say about God s relationship with us? 2 Looking at the following erses: hat are so e of our responsibilities in our relationship with God? Jeremiah 29:10-14 Matthew 22:36-39 James 4:8 John 14:21 11

16 We develop our relationship by spending time with God doing two very important activities. First, we must learn to Listen to God through His Word. As we read the Word, God may want to speak to us about any number of things. He ay show us a sin to confess a pro ise to clai an attitude to change a co it ent to ake a praise to o er so ething to thank Hi for a co and to obey, an example to follow, a prayer to pray, an error to avoid, a truth to believe. Second, we must learn to Talk to God through Prayer. Prayer is essentially a conversation with God. In prayer, we can express praise and thanks; ask God for guidance; confess our sins; receive peace and comfort; co it oursel es to od ask Hi to eet our needs ask Hi to work in the lives of others. Let s have a devotional time together as a group. 3. Open the devotional time in prayer. 4 Select a passage of scripture to read or our study today we will read a es 1:22 25 silently Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1: ake a few o ents and write down so e insights that especially spoke to you. You may also include an action step that God may want you to take. To start with, write no more than a paragraph. 12

17 Guided Discussion 1 6 ext spend so e ti e praying to od in a con ersational style as if He were sitting in a chair right in front of you. LOOKING AT REAL LIFE: 7 hat benefits do you see to ha ing a daily uiet i e 13

18 LOOKING AT MY LIFE: There are three things involved in making a commitment to having a personal daily devotional time. a. Choose a Time The best time is often in the morning before the day begins. Make it a priority in your day The time of day that works best for me is. b. Choose a Place The place should be quiet with no distractions where you can be alone. The place where I will have my devotional time is. c. Develop a Plan 14